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 Match 96   DB Rec# - 7,548  Dataset-WOFACT

Title         :Greenland 
Text          : 
                                    Greenland 
 
                                     Header 
 
Affiliation: 
    (part of the Danish realm) 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North 
    Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada 
Map references: 
    Arctic Region 
Area: 
  total area: 
    2,175,600 sq km 
  land area: 
    383,600 sq km (ice free) 
  comparative area: 


    slightly more than three times the size of Texas 
Land boundaries: 
    0 km 
Coastline: 
    44,087 km 
Maritime claims: 
  exclusive fishing zone: 
    200 nm 
  territorial sea: 
    3 nm 
International disputes: 
    none 
Climate: 
    arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters 
Terrain: 
    flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, 
    barren, rocky coast 
Natural resources: 
    zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum, cryolite, uranium, fish 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    0% 
  permanent crops: 
    0% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    1% 
  forest and woodland: 
    0% 
  other: 
    99% 
Irrigated land: 
    0 sq km 
Environment: 
  current issues: 
    NA 
  natural hazards: 
    continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island 
  international agreements: 
    NA 
Note: 
    dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse 
    population confined to small settlements along coast 
 
                                     People 
 
Population: 
    57,611 (July 1995 est.) 
Age structure: 
  0-14 years: 
    27% (female 7,664; male 7,881) 
  15-64 years: 
    68% (female 17,761; male 21,580) 
  65 years and over: 
    5% (female 1,500; male 1,225) (July 1995 est.) 
Population growth rate: 
    1.05% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    17.7 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    7.2 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 


Net migration rate: 
    0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 
    25.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    67.65 years 
  male: 
    63.33 years 
  female: 
    71.98 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    2.25 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    Greenlander(s) 
  adjective: 
    Greenlandic 
Ethnic divisions: 
    Greenlander 86% (Eskimos and Greenland-born Caucasians), Danish 14% 
Religions: 
    Evangelical Lutheran 
Languages: 
    Eskimo dialects, Danish 
Literacy: 
    NA% 
Labor force: 
    22,800 
  by occupation: 
    largely engaged in fishing, hunting, sheep breeding 
 
                                   Government 
 
Names: 
  conventional long form: 
    none 
  conventional short form: 
    Greenland 
  local long form: 
    none 
  local short form: 
    Kalaallit Nunaat 
Digraph: 
    GL 
Type: 
    part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division 
Capital: 
    Nuuk (Godthab) 
Administrative divisions: 
    3 municipalities (kommuner, singular - kommun); Nordgronland, Ostgronland, 
    Vestgronland 
Independence: 
    none (part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative 
    division) 
National holiday: 
    Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940) 
Constitution: 
    5 June 1953 (Danish constitution) 
Legal system: 
    Danish 


Suffrage: 
    18 years of age; universal 
Executive branch: 
  chief of state: 
    Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner
 
    Steen SPORE (since NA 1993) 
  head of government: 
    Home Rule Chairman Lars Emil JOHANSEN (since 15 March 1991) 
  cabinet: 
    Landsstyre; formed from the Landsting on basis of strength of parties 
Legislative branch: 
    unicameral 
  Parliament (Landsting): 
    elections last held on 4 March 1995 (next to be held 5 March 1999); results 
    - Siumut 38.5%, Inuit Ataqatigiit 20.3%, Atassut Party 29.7%; seats - (31 
    total) Siumut 12, Atassut Party 10, Inuit Ataqatigiit 6, conservative 
    splinter grouping 2, independent 1 
  Danish Folketing: 
    last held on 21 September 1994 (next to be held by September 1998); 
    Greenland elects two representatives to the Folketing; results - percent of 
    vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) Liberals 1, Social Democrats 1; note - 
    Greenlandic representatives are affiliated with Danish political parties 
Judicial branch: 
    High Court (Landsret) 
 
                                   Government 
Political parties and leaders: 
    two-party ruling coalition; Siumut (Forward Party, a moderate socialist 
    party that advocates more distinct Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy
 
    from Denmark), Lars Emil JOHANSEN, chairman; Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) (Eskimo 
    Brotherhood, a Marxist-Leninist party that favors complete independence from
 
    Denmark rather than home rule), Josef MOTZFELDT; Atassut Party (Solidarity, 
    a more conservative party that favors continuing close relations with 
    Denmark), Daniel SKIFTE; AKULLIIT, Bjarne KREUTZMANN; Issituup (Polar 
    Party), Nicolai HEINRICH 
Diplomatic representation in US: 
    none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) 
US diplomatic representation: 
    none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) 
Flag: 
    two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a large disk slightly
 
    to the hoist side of center - the top half of the disk is red, the bottom 
    half is white 
 
                                     Economy 
 
Overview: 
    Greenland's economic situation at present is difficult. Unemployment is 
    increasing, and prospects for economic growth in the immediate future are 
    dim. Following the closing of the Black Angel lead and zinc mine in 1989, 
    Greenland became almost completely dependent on fishing and fish processing,
 
    the sector accounting for 95% of exports. Prospects for fisheries are not 
    bright, as the important shrimp catches will at best stabilize and cod 
    catches have dropped. Resumption of mining and hydrocarbon activities is not
 


    around the corner, thus leaving only tourism with some potential for the 
    near future. The public sector in Greenland, i.e., the central government 
    and its commercial entities and the municipalities, plays a dominant role in
 
    Greenland accounting for about two-thirds of total employment. About half 
    the government's revenues come from grants from the Danish Government. 
National product: 
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $NA 
National product real growth rate: 
    NA% 
National product per capita: 
    $NA 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    1.3% (1993 est.) 
Unemployment rate: 
    6.6% (1993 est.) 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $667 million 
  expenditures: 
    $635 million, including capital expenditures of $103.8 million (1993 est.) 
Exports: 
    $330.5 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) 
  commodities: 
    fish and fish products 95% 
  partners: 
    Denmark 79%, Benelux 9%, Germany 5% 
Imports: 
    $369.6 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.) 
  commodities: 
    manufactured goods 28%, machinery and transport equipment 24%, food and live
 
    animals 12.4%, petroleum products 12% 
  partners: 
    Denmark 65%, Norway 8.8%, US 4.6%, Germany 3.8%, Japan 3.8%, Sweden 2.4% 
External debt: 
    $297.1 million (1993) 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate NA% 
Electricity: 
  capacity: 
    84,000 kW 
  production: 
    210 million kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    3,361 kWh (1993) 
Industries: 
    fish processing (mainly shrimp), lead and zinc mining, handicrafts, some 
    small shipyards, potential for platinum and gold mining 
Agriculture: 
    sector dominated by fishing and sheep raising; crops limited to forage and 
    small garden vegetables; 1988 fish catch of 133,500 metric tons 
 
                                     Economy 
Economic aid: 
    none 
Currency: 
    1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere 
Exchange rates: 
    Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 6.034 (January 1995), 6.361 (1994), 6.484 


    (1993), 6.036 (1992), 6.396 (1991), 6.189 (1990) 
Fiscal year: 
    calendar year 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 
    0 km 
Highways: 
  total: 
    150 km 
  paved: 
    60 km 
  unpaved: 
    90 km 
Ports: 
    Faeringehavn, Frederikshaab, Holsteinsborg, Nanortalik, Narsaq, Nuuk 
    (Godthaab), Sondrestrom 
Merchant marine: 
    none 
Airports: 
  total: 
    10 
  with paved runways over 3,047 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways under 914 m: 
    2 
  with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 
    1 
  with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    3 
 
                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    17,900 telephones; adequate domestic and international service provided by 
    cables and microwave radio relay 
  local: 
    NA 
  intercity: 
    microwave radio relay 
  international: 
    2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station 
Radio: 
  broadcast stations: 
    AM 5, FM 7 (repeaters 35), shortwave 0 
  radios: 
    NA 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    4 (repeaters 9) 
  televisions: 
    NA 
 


                                 Defense Forces 
 
Note: 
    defense is responsibility of Denmark 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

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Updated: March 12, 1996